Opposite of Nicole here also: my PCP does basic gyno stuff and refers me to someone as needed. I chose her because her office is 1 mile away and she had the best ratings. Our insurer - BCBS - either covers more or offers lower co-pays based on the physicians rating ... Something like that! The ratings are on the BCBS website

Our biggest safety net is our house. We have about 125-130k in equity. I would sell that sucker in a heartbeat and move to a cheaper town or just get an apartment. I mean, I love our house and our town and all that, but it is not worth going into (further) debt for. That said, our first safety net is our meager savings, but that would only last a few months. Next would come the house. Then our 401ks. And finally, our parents. I could never EVER live with my in-laws (they are harmless in small doses; suicide-inducing in larger), but they have a second home they would let us live in, mostly due to the golden grandchild that is my son. We are lucky.

@garli Oooo sounds like my dream town! Agreed, exercise certainly helps balance the mental aspects. My husband is markedly different when he finds time to exercise after work vs not. Although finding the time is the crux of the issue for him.

@HelloTheFuture I think its because there's been quite a bit of in depth research that (young) kids primarily learn through play and discovery - mostly on their own. But our education system is built in opposition to this. I had an early intervention teacher recently tell me that "grandparents don't know how to teach children. They used to just let their kids run wild. Kids now a days have higher expectations and must actually learn things." I was appalled.

@HelloTheFuture I think it has gotten worse as professional expectations have increased exponentially. Workers are not longer in the office from 9-5; its closer to 8-6/7 and really, 24/7 now due to technology. And for parents - as this article touches on - if you're not the BEST educator/creator/cook for your children, well, you are told you have failed.

I know its really looking at this on a macro basis, but I buy organic food mostly because it scares the shit out of me that there's like 100s (1000s?) of chemicals/food additives banned in Europe that we allow here. And Europe has a higher life expectancy than the US. So, poor analysis = organic for me!